International: United Kingdom
UK quits treaty that lets oil firms sue government
26 Feb 2024
The UK has withdrawn from an international treaty that lets fossil-fuel companies sue governments pursuing climate policies for billions in compensation for lost profits.
Rishi Sunak hits back at criticism of fleeting COP28 visit
5 Dec 2023
UK prime minister rejects suggestion half-day stay shows lack of ‘seriousness.’ Rishi Sunak defended his decision to only attend COP28 for a half a day, saying it would be wrong to “measure our impact here by hours spent.”
Green growth or degrowth: what is the right way to tackle climate change?
27 Nov 2023
Nearly all the world’s governments and vast numbers of its people are convinced that addressing human-induced climate change is essential if healthy societies are to survive.
UK manufacturers call for EU-aligned carbon border tax
14 Nov 2023
A new poll of UK businesses has found that almost three-quarters would support the introduction of a carbon border adjustment mechanism that mirrors the one coming into force across Europe.
UK watering down net zero policies 'will lead to rising deaths from global heating'
10 Nov 2023
The ‘watering down’ of net zero policies ‘will ensure that the number of deaths due to the impact of global heating on the UK population will keep on rising’, says climate scientist Bill McGuire.
Greta Thunberg at protest demanding oil chiefs pull their money out of politics
18 Oct 2023
Arrests have been made as protesters disrupted a conference at the InterContinental Hotel in central London where oil company CEOs are meeting.
Emissions from UK residents and businesses rose by 2% in 2022, figures suggest
11 Oct 2023
Residence-based emissions stood at 512 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2022 , according to Office for National Statistics provisional data.
Attacks on net zero at UK Conservative Party conference alarm green-leaning MPs
9 Oct 2023
Green credentials used to be considered a vote-winner but rhetoric around net zero has changed.
UK industry risks falling foul of EU’s new carbon tax
4 Oct 2023
British businesses selling into the European Union are unprepared for the bloc’s new carbon tax and run the risk of penalties if they are not compliant, a leading advisory firm has warned.
Shell CEO under pressure from within on renewables shift
29 Sep 2023
Shell's CEO Wael Sawan has come under pressure over his strategy from within the energy company after two employees issued a rare open letter urging him not to scale back investments in renewable energy, sparking an internal debate.
UK greenlights North Sea oil and gas field amid climate scrutiny
28 Sep 2023
The UK has given the green-light to Rosebank, the country’s biggest untapped oil field, amid increasing scrutiny of the country’s climate credentials.
British Prime Minister likely to face legal challenges over net zero U-turn
25 Sep 2023
Rishi Sunak is likely to face a series of legal challenges aimed at thwarting his plans to U-turn on net zero policies amid further international condemnation of the proposals.
UK launches climate change programme targeting over 4 million Nigerians
8 Aug 2023
The United Kingdom has announced the launch of its programme, Propcom+, supporting climate and growth by addressing environmental, social, and economic challenges in Nigeria’s food and land-use system.
UK's North Sea move shows tensions between energy security, climate
3 Aug 2023
The United Kingdom now finds itself at the epicenter of global tensions between energy security and lofty climate goals, which are playing out ahead of the COP28 conference in Dubai.
Britain commits to hundreds of North Sea oil and gas licences
1 Aug 2023
Britain commits to granting hundreds of licences for North Sea oil and gas extraction, drawing criticism from environmental campaigners.
Britain overhauling planning to meet net zero targets
3 Jul 2023
Britain is planning to overhaul the country's planning system to make it easier to install overhead cables and pylons, to help the government reach its net zero targets.
UK police have new expanded powers to crack down on protests
3 Jul 2023
New and expanded powers for British police took effect on Sunday, including measures targeting activists who stop traffic and major building works with protests.
UK Climate Change Committee says country no longer a world leader
29 Jun 2023
Government backing for new oil and coal, airport expansion plans and slow progress on heat pumps show that the UK has lost its leadership on climate issues, a government watchdog warns.
More than 260 ‘overheating incidents’ in London hospitals
27 Jun 2023
UK Doctors warn of ‘dangerous consequences’ for patients and staff during extreme heatwaves, amid climate change fears.
Campaigners win right to challenge England’s food strategy
22 Jun 2023
Ministers broke the law by failing to make plans to cut consumption of meat and dairy in England, climate activists will argue in a legal challenge after they were granted permission for a full judicial review of the government’s food strategy.
Sudden heat increase in seas around UK and Ireland
21 Jun 2023
Some of the most intense marine heat increases on Earth have developed in seas around the UK and Ireland, the European Space Agency (Esa) says.
Britain pledges funding for carbon dioxide measurement project in Brazilian Amazon
26 May 2023
Britain has announced new funding for a landmark scientific experiment deep in Brazil's Amazon rainforest that will measure the impact of rising carbon dioxide levels on trees, the British embassy said.
UK sued over plan to import more polluting Australian beef
25 May 2023
Campaigners have challenged the UK government over its assessment of an imminent free trade agreement with Australia, which critics say ignored the full climate impact of meat farming and consumption.
‘Polite queuing’ will not decarbonise UK supergrid, says energy watchdog boss
18 May 2023
Britain will not achieve its ambition to decarbonise the electricity grid by the middle of the 2030s with the current system of “polite queuing”, the boss of energy watchdog Ofgem has said.
Greenwashing era is over, say ad agencies, as regulators get tough
17 May 2023
Across the advertising industry, agencies are wrestling with their role in greenwashing scandals and their support for clients driving the climate and nature crises.
BP invests in carbon capture project
12 Apr 2023
This week, Harbour Energy announced it is teaming up with British oil and gas multinational BP on the Viking carbon capture project in the UK.
UK Government backs first 20 green hydrogen projects
31 Mar 2023
Projects under development by Carlton Power, Octopus Hydrogen, ScottishPower, SSE Renewables and ERM Dolphyn are among those shortlisted for support under the UK Government’s electrolytic hydrogen scheme.
Some UK lawyers vow to not prosecute climate activists
27 Mar 2023
Leading UK lawyers say they will refuse to prosecute climate protesters or represent new fossil fuel projects.
Planting this could feed millions and lock away tons of carbon
23 Mar 2023
The world hungers for more food while wildlife yearns for untouched habitats. So goes the conflict between our seemingly insatiable need for agricultural land, razing forests to make way for cattle and crops.
Britain's Drax pauses $2.5 billion biomass carbon capture plans
23 Mar 2023
British power generator Drax will pause its planned 2 billion pound ($2.45 billion) UK investment in bioenergy with carbon capture and storage until it receives more clarity on government support, it said on Tuesday.
‘Dead’ electric car batteries find a second life powering cities
15 Mar 2023
Last month, a small warehouse in the English city of Nottingham received the crucial final components for a project that leverages the power of used EV batteries to create a new kind of circular economy.
UK pension funds target BP and Shell directors over climate goals- FT
13 Mar 2023
Two of the UK's largest pension schemes will vote against the renewal of top directors at BP Plc (BP.L) and Shell Plc (SHEL.L) at their annual meetings unless both companies strengthen commitments to tackling carbon emissions, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.
UK emissions fall 3.4% in 2022 as coal use drops to lowest level since 1757
7 Mar 2023
The UK’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 3.4% in 2022, according to new Carbon Brief analysis, ending a post-Covid rebound.
Can a new university breathe life into Britain’s climate education
28 Feb 2023
Even before the United States entered the Second World War, American schools were preparing students for conflict.
Carbon-absorbing underwater meadows planted
24 Feb 2023
Five million seagrass seeds will be planted off Wales' coast to create climate change-fighting underwater meadows.
The climate benefits of a four-day workweek
22 Feb 2023
There's growing interest in the benefits of a four-day workweek for productivity and employee wellbeing, but the picture is more complicated when it comes to climate change.
All major road building projects in Wales are scrapped
16 Feb 2023
All major road building projects in Wales have been scrapped over environmental concerns.
UK politician attacks 15-minute city concept in parliament
16 Feb 2023
UK member of parliament Nick Fletcher has ignited a debate about 15-minute cities after stating that they "will take away personal freedoms".
Climate targets 'may mean higher taxes': Lord Stern
14 Feb 2023
The UK has made good progress towards achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 but getting there may need higher taxes.
Shell lawsuit: Institutional investors back legal challenge over climate risk
13 Feb 2023
A group of European institutional investors is backing a novel London lawsuit against energy giant Shell’s board over alleged climate mismanagement in a case that could have far-reaching implications for how companies tackle emissions.
Former British high commissioner to NZ slams UK government’s environmental “vandalism”
12 Dec 2022
Former British high commissioner to New Zealand Laura Clarke has condemned the UK government’s decision to approve a coal mine in Cumbria as “vandalism and self-harm.”
£35m carbon neutral high school opens in Cheltenham
5 Dec 2022
A £35m carbon neutral high school has opened its doors to pupils.
Carbon dioxide price surge 'could add £1.7bn to cost of UK groceries'
4 Oct 2022
The surging cost of carbon dioxide could add £1.7 billion to the cost of British groceries, according to new analysis. Research by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) suggests that the UK’s food and drink sector could end up footing the mammoth extra bill for liquid CO2 if gas prices remain high.
Milestones for carbon capture projects at sea and in Scotland’s gas sector
15 Sep 2022
A major new partnership has been struck in Asia to develop carbon capture and storage (CCS) onboard ships, shortly after plans were unveiled for a major CCS trial at a gas-fired power plant in Scotland.
Energy crisis: the UK is still heading for widespread fuel poverty – despite the government’s price cap
14 Sep 2022
In October 2021, an estimated 4 million households in the UK were in fuel poverty. But the largest increase in gas and electricity prices ever in April 2022 has pushed a further 2.7 million UK households into fuel poverty, bringing the total number to 6.7 million.
What will King Charles's reign mean for climate action?
13 Sep 2022
As Britain's King Charles III begins his reign after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, environmental campaigners will be watching closely to see if he continues to advocate for climate action and is able to help drive change as monarch.
New U.K. Prime Minister brings worries about research funding and climate measures
7 Sep 2022
Liz Truss may not honour promises by outgoing leader Boris Johnson to make Britain a 'science superpower'
World’s largest wind farm begins full operation off the coast of Yorkshire
5 Sep 2022
The world’s largest completed wind farm, the 1.3GW Hornsea 2 project off the coast of Yorkshire, is now in full operation, according to its developer, the Danish energy giant Ørsted.
Here’s what you get if you ask airlines what they can do about the climate crisis
23 Aug 2022
Last year, the UK government’s own climate change advisers, the Climate Change Committee, said that demand for flying must fall if the UK is to meet its climate commitments.
The big firms snapping up Scottish carbon credits
23 Aug 2022
Weapons manufacturers, the oil giant Shell, and financial institutions which poured billions of pounds into fossil fuels are among firms buying Scottish carbon credits, prompting critics to claim the country is experiencing an era of “rampant carbon capitalism”.
Forget net zero. We need ‘real zero’ – and these companies prove it’s profitable
Fri 15 Aug 2025
OPINION: Three huge global companies – IKEA, Lendlease and Fortescue Mining – are heading towards real zero. If they can do it, so can everyone.
Trump’s climate report includes more than 100 false or misleading claims
Fri 15 Aug 2025
A “critical assessment” report commissioned by the Trump administration to justify a rollback of US climate regulations contains at least 100 false or misleading statements, according to a Carbon Brief factcheck involving dozens of leading climate scientists.
Why China is still building new coal – and when it might stop
Thu 14 Aug 2025
Last year, China started construction on an estimated 95 gigawatts (GW) of new coal power capacity, enough to power the entire UK twice over.
Wildfires fanned by heatwave and strong winds rage across Europe
Fri 15 Aug 2025
Wildfires caused by arsonists or thunderstorms and fanned by a heatwave and strong winds wreaked destruction across southern Europe on Wednesday, burning homes and forcing thousands of residents and tourists to flee.
Challenges persist in bid to mine the deep sea, even after boost from Trump
29 Jul 2025
After years of delay, the deep-sea mining plans of Canadian firm The Metals Company (TMC) now appear to be progressing as it pursues a controversial new path to securing a license to mine in international waters under U.S. jurisdiction.
India misses chance to tackle UK carbon tax in trade pact
28 Jul 2025
India’s efforts to secure a concession for its small and medium enterprises under the UK’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism did not materialise, as the text of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement made no mention of a resolution on the contentious issue.
Rise in dengue fever outbreaks across the Pacific driven by the climate crisis, experts say
Wed 13 Aug 2025
Samoa, Fiji and Tonga among the worst affected amid warning the disease and others will become ‘more common and more serious’ as the planet warms.
Nordic countries hit by ‘truly unprecedented’ heatwave
5 Aug 2025
Scientists have recorded the longest streak of temperatures higher than 30C in the region in records going back to 1961.
African $60 billion high-speed rail project takes shape
Fri 15 Aug 2025
One of the largest infrastructure projects in Africa has received a new update that could see construction begin soon.
Brazil's Lula vetoes parts of environment bill pushed by the opposition that could harm the Amazon
Wed 13 Aug 2025
Brazil’s president has vetoed parts of a controversial congressional bill that sought to loosen the country’s environmental licensing rules.
How could the UN climate talks be reformed?
Wed 13 Aug 2025
This year marks a decade since nations successfully negotiated the Paris Agreement, a landmark treaty that has been the guiding force for international climate politics ever since.
